Letters to the editor for Saturday, March 30, 2013

Published: Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 5:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, March 29, 2013 at 5:49 p.m.

Train (station) in vain?

Mac Thrower's column on SunRail is dead on target.

I was born and raised in Winter Park. I bought a home in New Smyrna Beach 21 years ago and became a full-time resident 10 years ago. I still have family in Winter Park, and travel there frequently. SunRail will never reach expectations and it will do Winter Park no good. It has been U.S. Rep. John Mica's pipe dream for the last 12 years.

My wife and I flew regularly to Golden Triangle Regional Airport in central Mississippi for the last 25 years. When the airport opened in 1983, the terminal consisted of three construction trailers/portable buildings for 10 years. Delta, American, Northwest and United airlines utilized the airport with commuter service from Atlanta, Nashville, Memphis and St. Louis. As the airport grew, permanent buildings of small scale were added. U.S. Rep. Sonny Montgomery had a small office in the terminal trailer complex.

My point is this: Why the rush to build a building that may never serve a vital function? This goes along with the proposed local train station. A platform is needed, but a station can be a temporary building with a life of five years. If the service warrants a bigger facility later on, so be it; local governments always have to have the horse pushing the cart in Volusia County.

There is no reason that the SunRail stations cannot be of this type. Just because money is available does not mean we have to spend it. That's why the county and country are in the fiscal shape they're in.

Take a look at the Golden Triangle airport. We should learn from others!

STAN KAPP

New Smyrna Beach

A bumpy road to travel

If you have driven down Granada Boulevard between Beach Street and U.S. 1 lately, it has become an obstacle course.

The newly installed middle islands are protected by orange and white barrels — because if they weren't there, there would be more tires curbing the edges of the newly poured cement curbs that narrowed the street. Then they also poured some ridiculous cement islands that go out from the sidewalks into the street — and are very difficult to see.

The only benefit I see with this latest construction is that it will give tow truck services more opportunity for overtime. I hope this issue is looked into before some serious problems occur.

BOB MIODONSKI

Ormond Beach

Billing reform needed

In his "Florida Voices" column of March 24, U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis states that "We need patient-centered health reform that promotes competition, lower costs and quality outcomes." While he says that Obamacare is "an impediment to true reform," he does not articulate an alternative approach beyond claiming that he is "fighting for freedom, principle and the prevention of Obamacare."

Let me offer a more concrete objective that Rep. DeSantis, as an advocate of free markets and competition, can surely support — improving the transparency and accountability of hospital billing. I suggest that he start by reading a critical Time magazine cover story published Feb. 20, "Bitter pill: why medical bills are killing us." In the article, reporter Steven Brill examined the role that chargemasters or charge description masters (CDMs) play in the American health care system's cost crisis.

I experienced the problem firsthand two years ago, following a stay at a local hospital. Having spent many years administering large, complex construction projects, often with hundreds of subcontractors and suppliers, I was flummoxed in my attempt to simply understand what I was paying for and why some of the hospital's and its separate service provider's charges were discounted and not others.

When I asked the hospital or the insurance company for answers, it was apparent that, as a patient, I had little or no power to break into this "kabuki dance."

I understand the political benefits to DeSantis of demagoguing Obamacare; however, if DeSantis is serious about promoting "competition, lower costs, and quality outcomes," he will advocate for the transparency and accountability of hospital billing, whether inside or outside the Affordable Care Act.

DICK GARBER

Ormond Beach

Read the dang bill

OK, boys and girls, it's time to read the bill.

The Affordable Health Care Act goes into effect in 2014. I can't really refer to it as affordable health care, since I got hit with a 2.3 percent tax increase Jan. 1 of this year from medical device manufacturers. So I will refer to it, like many, as Obamacare.

I recall the famous quote from our beloved then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, "But we have to pass the (health care) bill so that you can find out what's in it." Well, now it's time for our legislators to read the bill. There's only a few months left.

Like the old college days of final exams, no matter how much you procrastinate, you still have to study the material, even if it involves a few all-nighters, or you will suffer the consequences.

Or, since Obamacare does not apply to members of Congress, do they believe there are no consequences?

Even so, they should step up to the plate, do the American thing and read the bill.

As for good old Nancy, I have a suggestion. On her numerous trips cross-country, she surely has some downtime. How about throwing in a copy of the bill to read on the plane. Better yet, since she upped for a larger jet a few years back (on the taxpayers' dime) she should have a little more room.

She can think of it as a bedtime story, a fairytale. As she drifts in and out, maybe, like osmosis, some of it will hit a little gray matter.

I'm certain there are some in Washington who have read the bill. I mean the ones who wrote it, read it — right?

<p class="bold allcaps">Train (station) in vain?</p>
<p>Mac Thrower's column on SunRail is dead on target. </p><p>I was born and raised in Winter Park. I bought a home in New Smyrna Beach 21 years ago and became a full-time resident 10 years ago. I still have family in Winter Park, and travel there frequently. SunRail will never reach expectations and it will do Winter Park no good. It has been U.S. Rep. John Mica's pipe dream for the last 12 years. </p><p></p><p>My wife and I flew regularly to Golden Triangle Regional Airport in central Mississippi for the last 25 years. When the airport opened in 1983, the terminal consisted of three construction trailers/portable buildings for 10 years. Delta, American, Northwest and United airlines utilized the airport with commuter service from Atlanta, Nashville, Memphis and St. Louis. As the airport grew, permanent buildings of small scale were added. U.S. Rep. Sonny Montgomery had a small office in the terminal trailer complex. </p><p>My point is this: Why the rush to build a building that may never serve a vital function? This goes along with the proposed local train station. A platform is needed, but a station can be a temporary building with a life of five years. If the service warrants a bigger facility later on, so be it; local governments always have to have the horse pushing the cart in Volusia County. </p><p>There is no reason that the SunRail stations cannot be of this type. Just because money is available does not mean we have to spend it. That's why the county and country are in the fiscal shape they're in. </p><p>Take a look at the Golden Triangle airport. We should learn from others!</p><p> </p><p>STAN KAPP</p><p>New Smyrna Beach</p><h3>A bumpy road to travel</h3>
<p>If you have driven down Granada Boulevard between Beach Street and U.S. 1 lately, it has become an obstacle course. </p><p>The newly installed middle islands are protected by orange and white barrels &mdash; because if they weren't there, there would be more tires curbing the edges of the newly poured cement curbs that narrowed the street. Then they also poured some ridiculous cement islands that go out from the sidewalks into the street &mdash; and are very difficult to see. </p><p></p><p>The only benefit I see with this latest construction is that it will give tow truck services more opportunity for overtime. I hope this issue is looked into before some serious problems occur.</p><p>BOB MIODONSKI</p><p>Ormond Beach</p><h3>Billing reform needed</h3>
<p>In his "Florida Voices" column of March 24, U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis states that "We need patient-centered health reform that promotes competition, lower costs and quality outcomes." While he says that Obamacare is "an impediment to true reform," he does not articulate an alternative approach beyond claiming that he is "fighting for freedom, principle and the prevention of Obamacare." </p><p>Let me offer a more concrete objective that Rep. DeSantis, as an advocate of free markets and competition, can surely support &mdash; improving the transparency and accountability of hospital billing. I suggest that he start by reading a critical Time magazine cover story published Feb. 20, "Bitter pill: why medical bills are killing us." In the article, reporter Steven Brill examined the role that chargemasters or charge description masters (CDMs) play in the American health care system's cost crisis. </p><p>I experienced the problem firsthand two years ago, following a stay at a local hospital. Having spent many years administering large, complex construction projects, often with hundreds of subcontractors and suppliers, I was flummoxed in my attempt to simply understand what I was paying for and why some of the hospital's and its separate service provider's charges were discounted and not others. </p><p>When I asked the hospital or the insurance company for answers, it was apparent that, as a patient, I had little or no power to break into this "kabuki dance." </p><p>I understand the political benefits to DeSantis of demagoguing Obamacare; however, if DeSantis is serious about promoting "competition, lower costs, and quality outcomes," he will advocate for the transparency and accountability of hospital billing, whether inside or outside the Affordable Care Act.</p><p> </p><p>DICK GARBER</p><p>Ormond Beach</p><h3>Read the dang bill</h3>
<p>OK, boys and girls, it's time to read the bill. </p><p>The Affordable Health Care Act goes into effect in 2014. I can't really refer to it as affordable health care, since I got hit with a 2.3 percent tax increase Jan. 1 of this year from medical device manufacturers. So I will refer to it, like many, as Obamacare. </p><p>I recall the famous quote from our beloved then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, "But we have to pass the (health care) bill so that you can find out what's in it." Well, now it's time for our legislators to read the bill. There's only a few months left. </p><p>Like the old college days of final exams, no matter how much you procrastinate, you still have to study the material, even if it involves a few all-nighters, or you will suffer the consequences. </p><p>Or, since Obamacare does not apply to members of Congress, do they believe there are no consequences? </p><p>Even so, they should step up to the plate, do the American thing and read the bill. </p><p>As for good old Nancy, I have a suggestion. On her numerous trips cross-country, she surely has some downtime. How about throwing in a copy of the bill to read on the plane. Better yet, since she upped for a larger jet a few years back (on the taxpayers' dime) she should have a little more room. </p><p>She can think of it as a bedtime story, a fairytale. As she drifts in and out, maybe, like osmosis, some of it will hit a little gray matter. </p><p>I'm certain there are some in Washington who have read the bill. I mean the ones who wrote it, read it &mdash; right?</p><p></p><p>BOB HOEBING</p><p>Port Orange</p>